Zarn&nbspTarapata

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Full Name

Zarn Tarapata

Background

A man who stabbed two men to death at a south Auckland pawn shop in a "senseless and unprovoked" attack will spend at least 17 years in jail.

Zarn Tarapata, 26, was found guilty of the murders of Paul Fanning, 69, and Paul Matthews, 47, after a May trial in the High Court at Auckland and was today sentenced to life imprisonment.

The jury rejected the defence that he was insane at the time of the killing and sided with the Crown, which argued he was using methamphetamine, was delusional and acted out of anger and jealousy.

Justice Pamela Andrews said the tragedy caused by Tarapata was "plain and enormous".

"The loss and grief to both families is absolutely unimaginable," she said. Tarapata's partner and mother of his three children Tamara Cassie worked at Ezy Cash with the victims and was at the premises on July 19 last year.

Minutes after dropping her off, the defendant walked through the store into the lunch room where he slit Mr Matthews' throat and stabbed him 15 times before stabbing Mr Fanning six times. Both bled to death on the floor as Tarapata fled in the car with his partner and their kids. He was found later that night near his family's home in Huntly.